just for me ⚘ a Fred Weasley Fanfiction

18. potter stinks

Hogwarts was exceptionally boring on the weekends, there was only so much homework and extra readings that one could complete before lunch. Even Draco and Juniper's weekly game of Wizards chess became a bore after the first few weeks, just another thing they had to do to keep up their charade. So when Pansy suggested they all go and watch students put their name in the goblet, even Juniper jumped to her feet.

"I should put my name in." Draco boasted as the walked in their pack to the hall. Crabbe and Goyle exchanged a look with each other, before quickly agreeing with him.

"I dare you to." Juniper encouraged him, thinking of the age line that Dumbledore traced, that Draco had clearly forgotten about. She tore a scrap of parchment from a first years homework as she passed, stealing a spare quill as well. "Here you go." She held them out for Draco to take.

"I mean..." Draco tried to back down, he cleared a section at the table for them to sit, with a clear view of the goblet. "You heard Dumbledore, its really-"

"What does Dumbledore know? He's never competed." Juniper slid the parchment across the table for him to take again. Their group stared at her, waiting for Draco's response. His eyes flicked from hers to the parchment, back up again. Tentatively, he pulled the parchment closer to him, shakily scribbling his name down on the parchment. "Do this for your family."

"Well. I'm going to do it." Draco said, the muscles in his arms tensing as he slowly stood up. "I'm going to try and enter the life threateningly dangerous tournament."

"I'm so proud of you." Juniper cooed with a smirk playing across her lips.

"Don't try and stop me, any of you." Draco warned, dragging out his departure. The group replied with silence, waiting to watch his attempt at entering. Heads around the room turned to watch him, whispers starting as he stepped up to the ring. Juniper held her breath and bit her lip to hide her growing smile, watching as he slowly lifted his foot to step over the ring, only to be met with the sharp crack of the age line, sending him back towards the table.
Pansy was the first to laugh, setting off the rest of the hall. A group of Durmstrang boys laughed the hardest and loudest, a genuine laugh from their stomachs that echoed out the door. Their laughs set the humiliation deep in the pit of Draco's stomach, his face threatening to turn a bright red from the embarrassment, but also the anger he felt against Juniper in the moment. With a sweeping glare, he got to his feet, brushing it off as though it was nothing. As he turned back to sit down, Juniper held his angry stare, a small smirk on her lips as the rest of their friends failed to hide their giggles.

"Are you okay, Draco?" Pansy asked, trying to steady her breath.

"Fine." He spat, his canines showing as his lip curled. Juniper held back her own laugh, sipping out of her water goblet with a cocky eyebrow raise.

"It was funny... but it wasn't impressive." George Weasley said, turning back around the corner. the two Weasley twins watched the entire scene from the doorway, preparing their own evening shenanigan involving the age-line. "It was 'meh'."

"Well it's impressive for her." Fred defended his crush, shocked that she even thought of messing with Draco. "Everyday stuff for us. Not her."

"Whatever man. She's not winning me over any time soon." George shrugged, taking out the small thin vial out of his pocket. He swished the pale blue potion around, giving it a final inspection. He wasn't completely sold on Fred's attempt on an aging potion, but Fred had already burst through the doors and was on his way to the goblet.

"Well, well, well. We've done it boys!" Fred stopped in front of the Beauxbaton girls, winking. "And girls."

"Cooked it up fresh this morning." George followed in after a second of hesitation. As the twins made it to the age line, Fred made an effort to keep eye contact with Juniper, waving the potion at her to make sure he had her undivided attention. The twins wrapped their arms together and nodded, downing their potions in one gulp. The both jumped over the line, waiting a second before cheering for themselves. Draco scanned the room, jealous of the reaction they were getting, compared to the howls of laughter he received. The twins soaked in their celebration for a moment, accepting the applause, before putting their pieces of parchment into the goblet. Which incinerated them almost immediately, and sent the twins flying across the room with a loud crack. The room erupted into laughter again, and even the twins joined in as their hair turned white and they grew long, grey beards, as though were aging seventy years in an instant.
Even Juniper allowed herself to smile, watching Fred laugh at himself, almost embodying the sun because of how carefree and happy he was in the moment. Her eyes slowly wandered back to the table, ready to disassociate out of boredom, when she caught Draco's disapproving stare.